Flatiron



Patented Apr. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FLATIRJON William J. Sarringar, St. Louis, Mo., assignor of iifty per cent to Louis N. Teitelbaum, St. Louis,

Application June 3, 1935, Serial No. 24,599

Claims.

This invention relates to flatirons, and is of general utility whether applied to latirons heated by electricity or otherwise.

An object of the invention is to provide a 5 frame mounted on .the latiron and having resilient pivotal connections with the handle of the iiatiron, which operate and function to raise the iiatiron into the frame and out of contact with the support or fabrics upon which the iiatiron is mounted when the flatiron is not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for latching the frame in raised position at the option of the user.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawing in which- Fig. l is a plan view of the invention in co-nnection with a conventional latiron;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in connection with a flatirom Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the irregular section line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation with parts in section showing the latching loops for holding the frame in its raised position; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the resilient pivotal conections for raising the atiron in the frame.

As shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the iiatiron I is an electric flatiron and is provided with the usual handle 2 attached to the iiatiron by a handle frame including a front portion 3 and a rear portion 4.

The supporting frame for the flatiron comprises a central portion 5 extending across the top of the flatiron between the handle frame portions 3 and 4 and a downwardly extended portion 6 attached to or in connection with the frame portion 5 at each side of the iatiron. The portions 8 are of suiiicient length to extend substantially below the lower surface of the atiron when the portion 5 is seated against the handle frame member that extends along the top of the flatiron.

A bracket comprising a longitudinal portion 1, and upwardly and longitudinally extended portions 8 in connection with the opposite ends of said portion 1, is rigidly attached to the upper surface of the frame portion 5 by removable and replaceable fastening screws 9, which also rigidly attach `a handle loop I0 to the frame portion 5. The two upwardly and longitudinally extended portions 8 at each end of the bracket have longitudinal slot II therethrough which receive the ends oi a pin or small rod I2 around which the forward end I3 of a lever arm I4 is rolled. The lever arm I4 at each end of the device extends between the upwardly extended portions 8 and is guided by said portions 8 during operation of the lever arm. The outer ends of the lever arms I4 are mounted on pivots I5 supported by brackets I8 rigid with the handle frame portions 3 and 4 respectively. The outer ends of the lever arms I4 are in rigid connection with arms I1 which extend angularly from the arms I4. The arms I1 at each end of the device support a pivot I8. A spring supporting socket I9 has its inner end mounted on each pivot I8. Spring supporting sockets 20 have their outer ends mounted on pivots 2 I carried by rigid supports 22.

A coil spring 23 is mounted in the pair of sockets I9 and 25 at each end of the device and due to the angularity of the arms I'l the energy of these springs 23 is utilized to force the frame 5, 6 downwardly, or to raise the flatiron so that the lower edges of the frame portions 6 extend substantially below the lower surface of the atiron and will support the atiron well above the fabric or other support upon which the device is mounted. A rod 24 has its inner end mounted or 25 secured in each of the spring sockets I9 and extends across the space between the sockets I9 and 26 and into the sockets 28 and functions as a retainer for the spring 23 which encircles said rod. 'Ihe rod 23 does not interfere with the raising and lowering of the frame 6 but prevents the spring 23 from working out of either of the sockets or otherwise becoming disarranged.

In this construction and arrangement of the parts the springs 23 operate automatically to lower the frame 5, 6, and to raise the flatiron when the handle ID is released. In using the device some of the iingers of the operator are passed through the handle loop I0 and are gripped about the handle 2, thereby raising the frame 5, 5 and at the same time pressure is applied against the handle 2 to work the flatiron along the fabric that is being ironed.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 a latch de- 45 tent 25 is attached to one end portion of the handle loop portion i9 for vertical sliding movements in a socket 25 in the handle 2. A ball latch 21 is mounted in a cavity 28 in the handle 2 and retained therein by a plug 29. The ball is actuated inwardly by a spring 30 and when` the handle loop I is seated against the underside of the handle 2 the ball 21 engages in a notch 3| in the latch detent 25 and thereby supports the frame 5, 8, notwithstanding the pressure applied thereto by the spring 23. In this CAB construction it is necessary that the operator apply some pressure against the upper side of the frame 5, S, suiiicient to disengage the detent 25 from the latch ball 2l whereupon the springs 23 will raise the iron above the lower edges of the supporting frame 5, 6.

This device may be manufactured and assembled in connection with flatirons of diierent types at comparatively low expense, and is effective to raise and support the atiron above and out of contact with the fabric being ironed or the support upon which the atiron is mounted, automatically and as an incident to the detachment of the fingers of the operator from engagement with the handle loop l0.

The device may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

I claim:

l. The combination with a ilatiron having longitudinally spaced handle portions, of a frame extending transversely of the atiron between said handle portions and downwardly at the sides ofV the flatiron, levers pivotally connected with said frame between said spaced handle portions, and springs between said handle portions and interposed between said handle portions and said levers and actuating said levers in a direction to press said frame downwardly to position in which said frame extends beyond the lower surface of the ilatiron.

2. The combination with a flatiron having lon-- gitudinally spaced handle portions and a handle attached to said handle portions, of a frame extending transversely Of the flatiron between said handle and the flatiron, angular levers pivotally connecting said frame with said handle portions, springs for actuating said levers in directions to move said frame downwardly toward the iiatiron and to extend the lower surface of said frame downwardly beyond the lower face of the flatiron, and means connected with said levers and with said handle portions preventing displacement of said springs.

3. The combination with a latiron having longitudinally Vspaced handle frame portions extending downwardly therefrom and a handle attached to said frame portions, of a frame extending between said frame portions transversely of the i'latiron and downwardly at opposite sides of the flatiron, levers pivotally connected with said frame between said handle frame portions, and springs between said handle frame portions and interposed between said handle frame portions and said levers and acting on said levers to actuate said frame downwardly with respect to the latiron.

4. The combination with a flatiron having longitudinally spaced handle frame portions and a handle attached to said handle frame portions, of a frame extending transversely of the ilatiron between said handle frame portions and downwardly at the sides of the flatiron, angular levers pivotally connecting said frame with said handle frame portions and having slidable connection with said frame, springs for actuating said frame downwardly toward the flatiron, and means for preventing displacement of said springs.

` 5. The combination with a atiron having longitudinally spaced handle frame portions in con-- nection therewith and a handle attached to said handle frame portions, of a frame extending transversely of the flatiron between said handle frame portions and downwardly at opposite sides of the flatiron, coiled springs mounted between said handle frame portions and said frame, angular levers connected with said frame and said springs and operated by said springs to move said frame downwardly toward the ilatiron, and means for supporting and preventing displacement of said springs.

WILLIAM J. SARRINGAR. 

